It looks like the Disney Store will release a new Walt Disney figurine inspired by the upcoming “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” show at Disneyland, which will feature an Audio-Animatronic of the founder.
Walt Disney Animatronic Figurine
Update – 6/10/25, 11:58 a.m.: At this time, the Disney Store website has updated the release time for the now-dubbed “Disneyland 70th Anniversary Walt Disney Talking Figure” to July 17.
On their webpage for the Disneyland Resort 70th anniversary, Disney Store teases the release of the Walt Disney Nostalgia Collection on June 11 with a photo of a Walt Disney figurine sitting on a desk. The collection was already released at Disneyland Resort but without this figurine.
Though unconfirmed that it’s based on the Walt Disney animatronic, it looks similar to the concept art (below) for “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” which will open on July 17.
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” was originally scheduled to open with the start of the Disneyland 70th celebration on May 16. It was delayed to the actual 70th anniversary date of July 17.
The show will open with the 15-minute documentary “Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream,” followed by the appearance of Walt. The animatronic will be on a set inspired by his studio office. It will use archival voice recordings to have Walt tell the story of his own life.
Tom Fitzgerald, Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, said, “This has been a labor of love. It’s a new world for us, new challenges. But as Walt would say, it’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” Fitzgerald said the figure is the product of several “moonshots” built upon recent advancements in animatronic technology.
Imagineer Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz said it’s the “most lifelike audio-animatronic that we’ve created at Walt Disney Imagineering.”
Though some of Walt’s grandchildren and other family members approve of the animatronic, his granddaughter Joanna Miller continues to publicly denounce it.
Despite rumors that Walt said he never wanted to be turned into an animatronic, Imagineering has found no record of such a statement.
“We know it’s anecdotal,” said Shaver-Moskowitz, “and we can’t speak to what was told to people in private, and we can’t speak to Joanna’s feelings about the project.” He added, “We feel that we’ve presented a faithful and theatrical presentation that keeps Walt alive in the medium that he pioneered, and in the way that we present stories in our parks.”
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will temporarily replace “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” in the Main Street Opera House. After its initial run, the two shows will rotate with each other thanks to a rotating stage.
Also debuting at the Main Street Opera House on July 17 is a new gallery experience titled “Evolution of a Dream,” featuring never-before-seen art and original furniture from Walt’s Disneyland apartment, on loan from The Walt Disney Family Museum.
Read everything we know about “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.”
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